Today, March 20th marks the beginning of Spring, which means we are that much closer to summer. After a long and dreadful winter (at least in Ontario) it is easy to start day-dreaming about those hot summer days, where the days are long and the nights are warm. However, when we think of summer our next thought may be traveling, which in most cases involves flying inside an aircraft at 30,000 ft. Whether you like to fly or not, most will agree that there is something majestic about watching an airplane soar through the air.Just for a moment forget about expensive plane tickets and long waits at security and think about all of the principles and hard work behind the art of flight; think about all of the countless hours of engineering and research put into each plane and the preparation required prior to each flight to ensure everyone on board has a pleasant experience. The plane hasn't taken off yet and I'm already in awe.

Airbus A330-200 approaching runway 10. Source: Wikipedia

The island of Saint Martin or Sint Marteen, is located in the northern Caribbean and is split between France and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, hence the two differentiations in the name. This is the home of Maho Beach, where plane spotters and tourists alike flock to in order to watch aircraft of all sizes take off and land just meters above their head. The short distance of runway 10 at Princess Juliana Int'l forces pilots to fly at very low altitudes in order to make use of as much of the runway was possible. Although local authorities warn beach goers of the dangers associated with going for a dip right behind a massive Airbus A330, it doesn't stop people from standing in the way of jet blasts in the hopes of being blown away into the water. Local business take advantage of all the hype surrounding Maho Beach, where surrounding bars and restaurants have the arrival and departure schedule posted for the public; the Sunset Bar and Grill takes it one step further by having a speaker broadcasting the radio communication between pilots and the air traffic control tower.

Maho beach surely wouldn't be the most relaxing place to enjoy a day in the sun, but it would be an experience that you would come home and tell your friends about. Check out the video below for some very intense footage that will leave you longing for those warm summer days.

Leave a Reply.

idea mater is a series of articles, ideas and reflections written and compiled by Rafael Fraga and Edmundo Rodrigues. Topics such as history, science, art or life-style are presented with a hint of personal opinion.